1. Physics: Forces and Newton’s Laws
11/18/2018
Objective: I can describe the difference between mass and weight

2. Force
What is a force?
In physics, a force is “Any action that has the ability to change motion.”
We can simplify that to “a push or a pull”.

3. Two Types of Forces Contact Forces Field Forces
An object from the outside touches a system and exerts a force on it.
If I push on the wall, I’m exerting a contact force against it.
Field forces are exerted without contact.
Gravity is a common example. So is magnetism

4. Force, mass, and acceleration
Mass is defined as the amount of matter in an object
When mass is constant, if force increases, acceleration also increases
When force is constant, if mass increases, acceleration decreases
Acceleration is proportional to force (a ∝ F)
Acceleration is inversely proportional to mass (a ∝ 1/m)
Combining these two, we get an equation: a = F/m

5. Force, mass, and acceleration
This is how Newton developed his Second Law of Motion:
“The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object.”

6. Force, mass, and acceleration
We often just express this in equation form: a = F/m, or more often, F = ma
The force on an object is equal to the product of its mass and its acceleration
Note that force is a vector; its direction is the same as the acceleration.

7. Force, mass, and acceleration
Our unit for force is the Newton. 1 Newton is the force it takes to give a 1 kg mass an acceleration of 1 m/s2
So, 1 N = 1 kg*m/s2
If we have a 500 kg mass with an acceleration of 3 m/s2, the force causing it to move must be F = (500 kg)(3 m/s2) = 1500 N
If we want our answer to be in Newtons, we need mass in kg and acceleration in m/s2

8. Force of Gravity
Since we know the acceleration due to gravity on Earth, we can calculate the force of gravity on any mass. This is the same thing as its weight.
For example, if we have a 200 kg mass:
F = ma = (200. kg)(9.80 m/s2) = 1960 N
Likewise, if we knew the force of gravity on an object, we could work backwards to find its mass.

9. Weight Lab
First, answer the pre-lab questions #1-5 at the top of the page
Then, follow the procedure written on the bottom half of the page.
Note: There are only three scales. You will need to share.
When you finish, answer the questions on the back side, including the conclusion about the relationship between mass, weight, and force (this can probably be done in 2-3 sentences)

10. Mass Lab
First, answer the pre-lab questions #1-7 at the top of the page
Then, follow the procedure written on the bottom half of the page.
Measure the mass of each object using an electronic balance
Measure the weight of each object using a spring scale.
NOTE: Instead of a metal block for the second object, use one of the metal ramps from our bulls eye lab